. . . and they aren't even my kids!
Perhaps a short history will help me see the situation more clearly:
My college roomate becomes my best friend.
Her 14 year old sister has two babies before she gets her driver's license.
As a full time college student, I agree to live with my best friend and her infant and toddler neices after they are removed from their mother's care due to neglect.
I become a co-dependent surrogate parent, willfully sacrificing my college years because I am sick and think my sole purpose in life is to help my friend.
The girls become the light of my life, and I consider them family.
By the grace of God, I decide to move to a different town after graduation. We continue to be enmeshed and unhealthy. I drive to her city at least twice a month, and I become the built in babysitter.
Life starts to suck pretty bad, and I start feeling desperately lonely. After months of pain, I begin seeing a councelor, and slowly things improve.
I come to understand how unhealthy my thinking has been, and how dysfunctional this relationship has become. We wade through the treacherous waters of co-dependency, and I maintain my relationship with her girls.
I keep the girls anytime she needs a break, and I am pretty much the only consistent relationship they have in their lives. (Their biological mom is now a speed addict, and their aunt has gone through numerous other co-dependent relationships).
The girls stay with me at least once a month, and in the summer time I keep them for up to two weeks. I take them special places, and I am purposeful about spending quality time with them.
There aunt has decided she is done with God, and no longer desires to raise her girls with a faith. She is in a new highly toxic codependent relationship, and rather than deal with reality, she's decided to blame me for her problems.
I was informed this week that I am no longer allowed to see the girls without her supervision. This is due to the fact that I permitted her girls to express their feelings about being emotionally neglected and encouraged them to tell their aunt how they felt. I also allowed them to see Willy Wonka, which apparently was a no-no.
Today I feel bitter, yet resilent. I will write the girls. I will set up supervised visits. I will maintain contact to the best of my ability.
I don't have a "best friend" anymore, but who really wants one like her anyway?
(I'm fully aware that no one really cares about all this junk, but I needed to get it out. Don't feel obligated to respond)